Single-serving beverage dispensing machines, or brewing apparatuses, are commonly used in office and residential settings. Such machines provide quick, convenient and freshly prepared beverage servings. In general, beverages are produced in such machines from disposable cartridges containing soluble products such as coffee grounds or tea leaves.
The brewing process in such machines generally involves the injection of hot water under pressure into the cartridge, through the beverage product, and out of the cartridge into a cup or mug. This process necessitates the placement of a cartridge in the machine, and may require the ejection of a previous, spent cartridge. In addition, the new cartridge generally must be punctured in two locations—one to inject water, and the other to extract brewed beverage. These various mechanical operations can require a user to make multiple movements and involve complex structures, resulting in poor ergonomics and increased risk of mechanical failure.